Australian biotech company Cochlear gears up in its fight against the University of Pittsburgh in an American court.
Cochlear was accused of infringing patents owned by the university on wireless technologies. The products in question are the Nucleus 6 and 7 implants made by Cochlear, which is made up of a surgical implant and a sound processor which communicate using wireless technology through a headpiece coil allowing the user to process and hear sound.
It is this wireless technology that is under patent infringement accusations by the university, which claimed that it owns patents over the “wireless energy transfer unit” used in the hearing aid devices.
An initial claim was filed in the US District Court Western District Court of Texas, the university asked that Cochlear pay damages and a compulsory ongoing royalty for the use of technology.
Cochlear has denied allegations and has also raised a counterclaim against the university claiming that the patents owned were invalid as Cochlear had developed the technology first and is asking for the 2008 patent to be invalidated.
The two parties were set to meet a judge for a preliminary hearing to hear and decide the definitions of key technical terms that will be used in the case.
Cochlear mentioned in a statement to investors that it does not believe that the University of Pittsburgh’s case has merit.
Cochlear has faced patent infringement cases before, it was ordered to pay $268 million (US Dollars) in damages to Alfred E Mann Foundation for Scientific Research and Advanced Bionics. The company tried to reduce the damages in an appeal but was unsuccessful.
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